Just Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane | Book Review

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

"I cannot remember the last book I loved as much... a luminous, heart-achingly beautiful love letter to friendship. Knockout!" -- Josie Silver, New York Times bestselling author
International bestseller Mhairi McFarlane explores lifelong friendships, long-buried secrets, and unexpected love in a heartfelt, emotional new novel, perfect for fans of Evvie Drake Starts Over, The Two Lives of Lydia Bird, or In Five Years.
Eve, Justin, Susie, and Ed have been friends since they were teenagers. Now in their thirties, the four are as close as ever, Thursday night bar trivia is sacred, and Eve is still secretly in love with Ed. Maybe she should have moved on by now, but she can't stop thinking about what could have been. And she knows Ed still thinks about it, too.
But then, in an instant, their lives are changed forever.
In the aftermath, Eve's world is upended. As stunning secrets are revealed, she begins to wonder if she really knew her friends as well as she thought. And when someone from the past comes back into her life, Eve's future veers in a surprising new direction...
They say every love story starts with a single moment. What if it was just last night?
"[A] book I almost wish I'd written, except that would have robbed me of the intense joy of reading it... the kind of novel that will have you putting everything else on hold so you can keep turning pages until you reach its sparkling, brilliant end." -- Emily Henry, New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read

How have I gone this long without reading anything by Mhairi McFarlane? After reading Just Last Night I am OBSESSED. I am so thankful the publicist was a bit of a squeaky wheel and had me convinced I should read this sooner rather than later. I loved Just Last Night so much that after I finished I ended up adding all of the Mhairi McFarlane books to my TBR. Also, I think I have an additional physical book by her that I’ll be moving up in priority.

Eve, Susie, Justin and Ed are the best of friends. They’ve been tight since their days at high school and still spend most Thursdays going to trivia at the local pub together. There is this crackle of energy and chemistry when they are together. As it turns out though, Eve is in love with Ed but missed her chance years ago. Ed is now dating another woman – Hester – and has been for years. Things are about to drastically change for this friend group when one of the members dies tragically. And so, then Just Last Night transitions to a book about grief and secrets and moving forward. 

Eve is the main character and she’s best described as an aging goth. Normally I would maybe feel a little bit judgmental, but I LOVED Eve. McFarlane really nails voice in Just Last Night and Eve comes across as someone I would be friends with. Her voice is sarcastic and witty and she has this great taste in music. I loved how much Eve grew throughout this book. Also, loved the development of the romance that Eve has which I was not expecting.

I wasn’t expecting to smile so much either during this book, given how much is about the grief from one of the characters dying. Admittedly, I did get emotional during parts of this as well. My emotions were all over the place while reading, but friends, I read this in a matter of hours. I did not expect to be so glued to the pages, but I was held rapt. And because I don’t want to spoil you, I’ll just tell you PICK THIS UP if you love women’s fiction with a bit of humor and pathos. 

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April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

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